A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-14-03....Hurricane Hunters

dansangel; Billie

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, daisyscarlett, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

Hurricane Hunters

While most of us who have been through the fury of a hurricane would do everything we could to avoid bearing the brunt of its destructive energy, there are some very special individuals who purposely fly into the storm to gather data for the National Hurricane Center. They have come to be known as "Hurricane Hunters."

The Hurricane Hunters who are stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi typically fly in a WC-130 Hercules aircraft. The crew is made up of six people; the aircraft commander, pilot, flight engineer, navigator, weather officer and a dropsonde (more about that in a minute) system operator.

Hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30 as most residents of the East Coast and Gulf regions know all too well. Most tropical depressions that grow into full-fledged hurricanes begin their "lives" off of the coast of Africa. While travelling over the Atlantic Ocean, these tropical depressions may find conditions ripe for building up to hurricane force.

Once that happens, the Hurricane Hunters swing into action. Boarding the WC-130 Hercules and taking off on their mission, these very brave people actually fly into the storm, recording data on position, dewpoint and pressure readings every thirty seconds and beaming this information, by satellite, to the National Hurricane Center.

One of the methods used to gather this information is via a dropsonde. This device is a small canister about the size of a large "Pringles" chips can. The dropsonde acts as a "mini-weather station" and is fired out into the storm by the system operator. While the dropsonde is falling, a parachute is deployed, allowing the device to transmit important information in tandem with the weather officer's onboard computer. This data is interpreted at the National Hurricane Center so that appropriate life-saving warnings may be broadcast to those in the storm's path. In addition to helping forecasters to make accurate predictions during the course of the storm, the data also aids hurricane forecasters in their understanding of what makes such a storm "tick," improving their forecast models.

In the event that Keesler AFB is inaccessible due to a hurricane positioned in the Gulf, Charleston AFB, Patrick AFB and Homestead AFB are all alternate locations for the Hurricane Hunters. No matter where the storm is located nor how intense, the Hurricane Hunters are ever-ready to put themselves into harm's way so that lives may be saved.

May God bless and protect those that risk their lives in an effort to save ours. It is with great pleasure that I bring the "Hurricane Hunters" to a Few of FR's Finest!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-12-03 Military Monday 05-13-03 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

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God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Daisyscarlett; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

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We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LadyX....................grandson LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty The Mayor................niece

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn.............2 sons kneezles...........son

[Exit148]

I am definitely a land and water person ----not air! Flights scare the heck out of me, but at the same time, I'm fascinated by it.

To think of someone DELIBERATELY heading for a black cloud, or heaven-help-me -- a hurricane --- well, God, please be with them!

I didn't realize the Hurricane Hunters took such detailed information fronm that hanging thingy. It must be an exciting life, and so important to all of us! Not only must they have experienced, fearless pilots, but they must have scientists who know the fine points of weather changes and their meanings.

I've flown in all kinds of things when I've been in China, and all I could think when I'd look down at craggy mountains --- "where are the airports out here??"

True story --- We flew to Mexico in a regular jet with an American pilot, then waited for one of those little 4-seaters to take us to an island off the Yucatan Penninsula. We were with a group of fly-fishermen, and as we waited for our little pup-planes, I was getting more nail-biting nervous. I told the group that the only thing that would make me feel better was to have a tall blond German pilot walk in and say "My name is Ludwig Von Baron, and I am your pilot!" (You know -- the 'war-ace' type of person) What I didn't want is to have someone named Pablo Pedro Santana Rivera, who was more at home eating tacos. (I know I'm stereo-typing, but this was MY life here!)

Anyway -- shortly after, the door opened, and in walked a tall reddish-blond guy who said:"My name is Ludwig, and I am your pilot"!!!!! HONEST! I about fell over! However, I was not assigned to his plane! You guessed it --- I got a pilot whose name was Pablo!! And he was quite experienced and got us safely to the island. (BTW - Ludwig was French -- not German.)

[Aquamarine]

I hope you got more done today that you had 'planned' to do than I did!

I got alot done and now I'm tired. Maybe you'll have better luck tomorrow.

[Dubya]

Ddevotional.


"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11, NIV).


A Word From Billy Graham
"Do you have a time when you gather your family together for a few minutes and read them a few verses from the Bible and pray? Maybe you've never had a family altar in your home and you feel embarrassed to talk to your wife or your husband about it. You don't know how to bring it up. Why is this? Why is it embarrassing to talk about the Kings of kings and the Lord of lords? Is it embarrassing to talk about the Queen of England? Is it embarrassing to talk about some scientific discovery? Why is it embarrassing to talk about the Creator of the whole universe? Why are we timid about talking to Him? We have the privilege of coming every day into the throne room, and it will do more to solve our family problems than anything else, yet we don't do it. Why? Has Satan somehow trapped us into thinking that prayer doesn't count? What is your attitude toward the world situation? Are you wringing your hands all the time and saying the world is going to the devil? Or do you tell your children of God's plan as given in the Bible: that Christ is coming back to set up His Kingdom; that Utopia is coming, and while we may see world problems gathering on the dark horizon, beyond it is the Kingdom of God? They should see the smile of faith on your face."


The Blessings of Daily Devotions
"My habit of reading the Bible daily began before my salvation. I was 13 years old when I decided to follow my mother's example: She read her Bible every morning. For me, for 16 years, it was mere ritual. I seemed to gain no spiritual insight -- yet God used this ritual. One day He opened my eyes with just one verse. Suddenly I knew that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and that He died for my sins. At that point, my ritual became life-changing. I started reading the Bible with enthusiasm. It started to make sense. Then someone told me, 'Read the Bible until the Lord speaks to you, then write what He says.' I began again, starting with the Gospel of John, and moving through the rest of the New Testament. Through the years I have tried other methods which all have helped me in some way. Daily devotions put me in a place where God can apply His Word to my life. He rebukes and convicts me of sin, warns against certain behaviors and attitudes, and offers new ways to think and to speak. And He knows exactly what I need, repeatedly surprising me at just the right time with just the right passage" (Elsie Montgomery).


Prayer
Lord, at times we have taken for granted the privilege of coming daily into Your presence. We want to be closer to You and to hear Your voice daily. Please help us to put aside the distractions of life, to daily read the Bible and to pray. Teach us the joy of spending time with You. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

[LadyShallott]

Im am headed to bed. Have a good night!

Chris

[JulieRNR21]

I've experienced earthquakes while living in CA for 10 years and also saw tornadoes in TX when I lived there.

Earthquakes happen without any warning & don't last very long. Waiting for an approaching hurricane is a very anxious time but at least one has some warning.

With a tornado approaching, there isn't a lot of warning....and they scared me especially because we didn't have a basement in Houston. I was advised by a neighbor to go into a closet under our staircase. Fortunately, one never came to our house so I don't know if that closet would have been a 'safe haven'.

[GailA]

Did you see this one? It was on the OK RATS Resolution on TX RATS thread.

[GailA]

I've had a quite day thankfully. Rocky and I have been quilting...we are doing lap quilts for the AM Legion's paralized Vets project. Rocky sleeps, I quilt.

[Billie]

Good night, Chris - see you tomorrow.

[Billie]

Your pilot story was so funny!

[Billie]

Julie - you're back! Hello and goodnight!

Thanks, Dubya, for the late-nite devotional.

Would love a picture of those lap quilts, Gail!

Goodnight all!

[JulieRNR21]

Hi Billie....yep, I'm excited to be back!

[Exit148]

I wouldn't have believed it, if I didn't live it!!!! All of us, in that airport, had a great laugh! When I was finally on that flight with the Mexican pilot, I was in the back seat, under the luggage, fearing for my life. The lead guy on the trip was in the co-pilot seat --- knowing of my concern. He casually asked the pilot his name, and when he said "Pablo something-or-other" we burst out laughing! It loosened me up, and I relaxed! It was one of those treasured incidents we all have!

I'm glad you had this thread on these unsung heros -- the Hurricane Hunters. We take all the storm information for granted -- forgetting that there is someone up there getting that information for us ---and they are in the middle of what we are all battening down for.

[dutchess]

Good morning Finest Friends...please join us HERE

[dutchess]

Good morning Finest Friends...please join us HERE

[dansangel]

LOL to your "Ludwig story!" That was a hoot!

I'm definitely more of a "land and water" person myself. I have to laugh at all the people who try to convince me otherwise by saying "more people die on the roads" etc, etc. Statistically, I know planes are safer. However, I prefer to have the little tiny bit of control that I have behind the wheel. Perhaps I'm only fooling myself, but it affords me a psychological edge.

Have a great day ((((((Exit148)))))))))

[dansangel]

Thank-you for the daily devotion on this thread last evening. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you posted it.

Have a wonderful day (((((((Dubya)))))))))

[Lee'sGhost]

I doctored it a little and it was fine. THANKS AGAIN.

[MeekOneGOP]

Saw that pic just this morning after getting back from East Texas. Playin' Ketchup now. Thanks !